Lycoming Engine Sump Lw 14182 on 2040-parts.com

Concept Car of the Week: Autobianchi Runabout (1969)

The 850 was a very popular car for Fiat in the ‘60s, especially in its spider version with its cute design and compact proportions. When the time came to replace it, Fiat went back to Bertone, where chief designer Marcello Gandini was charged with designing its replacement. Not happy to simply recreate the 850, he began with a whole new layout by placing the engine directly in front of the rear axle for a mid-engined layout.

Aston Martin in talks with Mercedes to build SUV

The Lagonda SUV is looking more likely as AML talk to Mercedes The Aston Martin tie-up with Daimler’s AMG to produce new engines for Aston Martin was always likely to be just the tip of the iceberg of co-operation between the 3-pointed star and Gaydon. That’s because it’s not just new engines that Aston Martin needs, but new platforms too to replace its one and only ageing platform. And the first candidate for platform donation from Mercedes was always likely to be an SUV platform to build a Lagonda SUV on.

One Lap of the Web: Mini challenges Porsche; kit cars; and brand loyalty

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. Mini wished the Porsche 911 a happy 50th anniversary.